Journals
2018 EN
Linseis Vincent · Hassan Zeinab Mohamed · Reith Heiko
+5 more
For the first time, a complete thermoelectric characterization of PEDOT:PSS thin films is performed with a novel lab‐on‐a‐chip measurement platform, which Is developed for the nearly simultaneous in‐plane ZT characterization. The electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, the thermal conductivity, and consequently the power factor and ZT values as a function of temperature in a single measurement run is experimentally determined. A clear correlation is found between the film thickness of PEDOT:PSS and the thermoelectric properties. While the electrical conductivity increases with decreasing thickness, the thermal conductivity shows a contrary behavior. Both parameters increase monotonically with increasing temperature between 173 and 373 K. The Seebeck coefficient exhibits the same temperature dependency but, in contrast to the previous two parameters, is almost independent of the PEDOT:PSS film thickness. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that a ZT chip, with a complete set of thermoelectric test structures, can be successfully used for a full thermoelectric characterization of conductive organic thin films. This translates into a major testing time advantage for the screening and optimization of promising organic materials during the R&D phase, which can serve as potential candidates for future thermoelectric applications and devices.
Journals
2018 EN
Ebrahimzadeh Attari Vahideh · Malek Mahdavi Aida · Javadivala Zeinab
+3 more
Recently, the beneficial effects of ginger on obesity is taken into consideration. Albeit, it seems that the anti‐obesity effect of ginger and its mechanism of action has not yet been reviewed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to systematically review the effect of Zingiber officinale Roscoe on obesity management. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google scholar, and Science Direct were searched from 1995 until May 2017 using the definitive keywords. Searching was limited to articles with English language. All of the relevant human and animal studies and also in vitro studies were included. Review articles, abstract in congress, and also other varieties of ginger were excluded. Eligibility of included articles were evaluated by 3 reviewers, which also extracted data. Articles were critically assessed individually for possible risk of bias. Twenty‐seven articles (6 in vitro, 17 animal, and 4 human studies) were reviewed. Most of the experimental studies supported the weight lowering effect of ginger extract or powder in obese animal models, whereas the results of the available limited clinical studies showed no changes or slight changes of anthropometric measurements and body composition in subjects with obesity. Ginger could modulate obesity through various potential mechanisms including increasing thermogenesis, increasing lipolysis, suppression of lipogenesis, inhibition of intestinal fat absorption, and controlling appetite. This review article provides some convincing evidence to support the efficacy of ginger in obesity management and demonstrates the importance of future clinical trials.
Journals
2018 EN
Bedrood Zeinab · Rameshrad Maryam · Hosseinzadeh Hossein
Many scientific articles proved that green tea (GT), Camellia sinensis , has a great potential to manage central nervous system, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases and treat cancer and inflammatory disorders. However, it is important to consider that “natural” is not always “safe.” Some relevant articles reported side effects of GT, detrimental effects on health. The aim of this study is to provide a classified report about the toxicity of GT and its main constituents in acute, subacute, subchronic, and chronic states. Furthermore, it discusses on the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and developmental toxicity of GT and its main constituents. The most important side effects have been reported hepatotoxicity and gastrointestinal disorders specially while consumed on an empty stomach. GT and its main components are not major teratogen, mutagen, or carcinogen substances. However, there is limited data in using them during pregnancy, and they should be used with caution in pregnancy, breast‐feeding, and susceptible people. Because GT and its main components have a wide variety of drug interactions, consideration should be taken in coadministration of them with narrow therapeutic indexed drugs. Furthermore, they evoke selective cytotoxicity on cancerous cells that could engage them as an adjuvant substance in cancer therapy.
Journals
2018 EN
Najaf Najafi Mona · Salehi Maryam · Ghazanfarpour Masumeh
+2 more
This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to critically evaluate the relation between green tea (GT) consumption and the risk of breast cancer. Popular electronic databases were systematically searched for papers in English language. All case‐control and cohort studies in addition to randomized clinical trials were included if they assessed the chemopreventive effects of GT on breast cancer. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa and Jadad scale. This systematic review comprised 14 studies: 9 case‐control studies, 4 cohort studies, and 1 clinical trial. Odds ratio (OR) in case‐control studies suggested that women in the group receiving the highest level of GT had 19% reduction in breast cancer risk compared with those who received the lowest level of GT (summary OR = 0.81, p = .031; 95% CI [0.66, 0.981]; heterogeneity, I 2 = 71.53, p < .001, random effect model; 9 studies). OR in cohort studies also showed no significant difference (OR = 0.99, p = .94; 95% CI [0.81, 1.138]; heterogeneity, I 2 = 19.06, p = .29; fixed‐effect model; 4 studies). According to the only clinical trial, treatment with GT could not alter the mammographic density compared with placebo (26% vs. 25%). It cannot be concluded that GT consumption may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Due to high heterogeneity, a pooled analysis of case‐control and cohort studies was not performed.
Journals
2018 EN
Alipour Mojtaba · Badooei Zeinab
In recent years, much efforts have been invested to apply information theory for different physical and chemical problems. In this regard, one can make use of one or many of the information theoretic quantities together within an approach so‐called information functional theory to describe the energetic components and electronic properties of various systems. In the present contribution, several information theoretic quantities such as Fisher information, Shannon entropy, Onicescu information energy, and Ghosh–Berkowitz–Parr entropy based on the two representations of electron density and shape function are utilized for the prediction of kinetic component of the correlation energy density functional as an important quantity in density functional theory. Taking the atoms and isoelectronic series as benchmark sets we find that with more or less different accountabilities of the considered quantities they can be introduced as reliable measures for the kinetic energy functional. Concerning different natures of the information theoretic quantities with variety of scaling properties and physiochemical propensities, it is shown that instead of describing all data using one of such quantities individually, considering all of them concurrently provides a better view on the prediction of the kinetic component of correlation energy density functional. Hopefully, the information theoretic approach can provide an alternative pathway toward the theoretical prediction and rationalization of important quantities in density functional calculations from the perspective of information theory.
Journals
2018 EN
Karami Zeinab · ZohuriaanMehr Mohammad Jalal · Rostami Ali
This study reports the use of Diels‐Alder (DA) chemistry to engineer a three‐step strategy for making a novel hybrid epoxy‐furan network (HDAN), from DGEBA resin and the fully bio‐based monomer furfuryl alcohol (FA). Thus, a furfurylated epoxy resin‐ (FER) was synthesized via reaction of DGEBA and FA. FER was blended with poly(furfuryl alcohol) bio‐resin, and in turn crosslinked with a bismaleimide to form HDAN. HDAN showed an inferior mechanical properties but superior thermo‐stability compared to those of a control sample i.e. amine‐cured DGEBA. Degradability of HDAN network was investigated both by thermal and ultrasonic methods. The results proved that the ultrasonic degradation isan alternative method for the thermal retro‐DA reaction. DSC and FTIR analysis confirmed the formation, disconnection and re‐formation of DA cross‐linkages. Excellent thermo‐remending of scratched samples and practical welding of separated sample pieces were also approved by electron microscopy. In conclusion, HDAN was considered as an initiative candidate to be used in advanced applications (e. g., polymer composites…) requiring re‐processability, re‐mendability and weldability.
Journals
2018 EN
Schwab Miriam M. · Himmel Daniel · Kacprzak Sylwia
+6 more
To provide a better understanding of the recently published pure metalorganic Ni I species, [Ni(cod) 2 ][Al(O R F ) 4 ] ( 1 ) [cod = 1,5‐cyclooctadiene, R F = C(CF 3 ) 3 ], further characterizations were performed and analyzed. Thus, the solvation of 1 in THF was examined by EPR, surprisingly disclosing the initiation of a disproportionation reaction to [Ni II (THF) 6 ][Al(O R F ) 4 ] 2 ( 3 ) and Ni 0 . Further studies concerning the ability of 1 to activate small molecules exhibit the formation of a remarkable [Ni 3 S 2 (cod) 3 ] 2+ cluster ( 5 ) in an oxidation reaction with S 8 , while EPR measurements of the resulting product in a reaction with oxygen indicate a possible coordination of O 2 . Single crystal X‐ray structures as well as spectroscopic analyses of 3 and 5 are described.
Journals
2018 EN
Mohsen Beheshti · Lukas Hehenwarter · Zeinab Paymani
+6 more
In this prospective study we compared the accuracy of 18 F-fluorocholine PET/CT with that of 99m Tc-MIBI or 99m Tc-tetrofosmin SPECT/CT in the preoperative detection of parathyroid adenoma in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. We also assessed the value of semiquantitative parameters in differentiating between parathyroid hyperplasia and adenoma.
Springer Science+Business Media
Journals
2018 EN
Layla Panahipour · Shayesteh Nasserzare · Zeinab Amer
+5 more
Milk can reduce intestinal tissue damage in colitis models, and protects infants against necrotizing enterocolitis. However, whether milk can decrease inflammation related to peri-implantitis and oral mucosal dehiscence remains unclear. We therefore investigated whether or not milk and fermented by-products have any anti-inflammatory effects on the cells of the oral cavity.
Journals
2018 EN
Bahare Pasandide · Faramarz Khodaiyan · Zeinab E. Mousavi
+1 more
In this study, the effect of acidic extraction conditions (time of 30-90 min, temperature of 75-95 °C and pH of 1.5-3) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of citron peel pectin was investigated applying Box-Behnken design. The highest production yield of pectin (28.31 ± 0.11%) was achieved at extraction time of 90 min, temperature of 95 °C and pH of 1.5, as optimal extraction conditions, which was close to the predicted value (29.87%). Under optimum extraction conditions, the DE and the emulsifying activity were 51.33 and 46.2%, respectively. In addition, the emulsions were 93.9 and 93.5 stable at 4 °C, 93.7 and 93.1 at 23 °C after 1 and 30 days, respectively. The determination of flow behavior showed that the pectin solutions had a Newtonian behavior at low concentrations (< 1.0% w/v), while this behavior was changed to pseudoplastic with increasing concentration.
Springer Science+Business Media